Rizzo the Rat
|shows = ''The Muppet Show The Jim Henson Hour MuppeTelevision Muppets Tonight Muppet Moments The Muppets ''Muppet Babies'' (2018) |games = My Muppets Show Muppet Treasure Island |rides = Muppet Vision 3-D Midship Detective Agency |actor = Steve Whitmire (1980-2016) Peter Linz (2017-Present) |personality = Sly, prankish, hungry, witty, clever, friendly, sarcastic, a trickster, smart |appearance = Brown rat, black oval nose, red jacket, yellow cap |occupation = Performer Waiter (The Muppets Take Manhattan) Gonzo's sidekick Clifford's assistant (Muppets Tonight) |alignment = Good |affiliations = The Muppets |family = 1,274 brothers and sisters (mentioned; in The Muppet Christmas Carol) Remy (cousin, according to the Midship Detective Agency) |friends = Gonzo, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Rowlf the Dog, Robin the Frog, Pepe the King Prawn, Clifford, Dr. Teeth, Animal, Floyd Pepper, Janice, Zoot, Lips, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Beaker, Bobo the Bear, Jim Hawkins |enemies = Long John Silver, K. Edgar Singer, Rachel Bitterman, Tex Richman, Constantine, Dominic Badguy |likes = Playing tricks, pulling scams, eating, singing, cheese, pizza, apples, roasted goose |dislikes = Cats, getting tortured, danger, starvation, anyone trying to steal his food, people being afraid of him, prejudicism against rats and other rodents, rat poison, mouse traps, getting out and banned from restaurants, pest exterminators |quote = "How does he/she do that?" "Hey, hey, hey, hey! Light the lamp, not the rat!"}}Rizzo the Rat is a sly Muppet rat who loves to eat and play tricks on others. He speaks with a Brooklyn accent and is often paired with Gonzo and the two have been best friends ever since. Background Rizzo the Rat is a rat who has a tendency to crack mocking jokes at others or make fun of them. Sometimes, as seen in The Muppets Take Manhattan, he tries to cheat people into getting something he wants. However, he also has a sensitive side (according to Tim Hill and Gonzo during an audio commentary for Muppets from Space) and is good friends with a couple of characters. He was created by Steve Whitmire after he took a fascination to a bunch of old rat puppets made from bottles by Don Sahlin for The Muppet Musicians of Bremen. Whitmire made costumes for Rizzo, and the Muppet Show Fan Club newsletter (vol. 2, no. 4, 1980) claimed that "It is Rizzo's greatest ambition to wear a different costume every time he appears in a shot! Watch out for this well-dressed rodent -- he has every intention of succeeding. Rat on, Rizzo!" Since The Muppet Christmas Carol, Rizzo and Gonzo have been best pals. However, that wasn't their first pairing together. They had previously interacted in The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson, and appeared in a sketch together on Good Morning America, broadcast March 10, 1992. Rizzo and Pepe the King Prawn also seem to have a strong friendship in Muppets from Space. Although Rizzo has no lines in the 2011 film The Muppets, he and Gonzo were interviewed together behind the scenes. In an interview, Nick Stoller explained that they tried to include as many characters as possible, but couldn't find a spot for him (or Bean Bunny) in the movie. His absence is referenced in Muppets Most Wanted, in a scene where he and Robin point out that the previous film replaced older characters such as themselves with the new character Walter. Rizzo is named after Ratso Rizzo, a character from portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. This name was suggested by Frank Oz. Rizzo also tried to impersonate Mickey Mouse in Muppet*Vision 3D to get money from Sam the Eagle, though his disguise didn't work. Trivia * Rizzo the Rat's film appearances in The Muppets Take Manhattan and Muppets from Space are both owned by Sony Pictures, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is owned by NBCUniversal, the other Muppet movies are owned by Disney (along with the rest of the Muppet franchise). Gallery es:Rizzo, la Rata nl:Rizzo the Rat pt-br:Rizzo, o Rato Category:Characters Category:Males Category:Singing characters Category:Rats Category:Characters who narrate the story Category:Muppet Treasure Island characters Category:Characters who break the Fourth Wall Category:Heroes Category:Musicians Category:The Muppet Christmas Carol characters Category:Pirates Category:The Muppets characters Category:Muppets Most Wanted characters Category:The Muppets' Wizard of Oz characters Category:Muppet Babies characters Category:Anthropomorphic characters Category:Acquired characters